“EXCUSE me, sir, but you are not preaching the Lord Jesus Christ.” These words, coming so clearly from the balcony of a crowded hall in Lincolnshire, caused such a sensation that they ended in the expulsion of the young airman who had uttered them.
There was a bit of history belonging to that interruption. Jimmy Moor had crossed the Atlantic and had been posted in Northern Ireland. Being unable to go home on leave, he had always gone with his chum to his home in Lincolnshire, and being invited to go with the family to chapel, had come with them and been soundly converted. He was an “out and outer,” and soon had written home to his mother with a full account of his blessing, with the result that she too was happily converted to Christ. Shortly afterward he was posted to a station in Lincolnshire, still ardently serving His Master, and seeking more opportunities to be ready for service. Thus he came to be included in that great audience of 2,000 and he was greatly perturbed by the absence of real, living Christian teaching in what was said. Thus after enduring the lifeless, Christ-less preaching as long as he could, he interrupted the meeting as described, and the matter was reported in the local press. At that time, a young man, a warm lover of Christ, came to hear of this episode, which occurred in his home town, and he thought he would try and contact this airman; so writing a personal note to him, he got in touch with the officer commanding the aerodrome.
“Did you hear that one of your men was ejected from a meeting in the town recently?” he asked.
“No,” replied the C. O., “how did it happen?” So W. outlined the case as it was reported.
“Ah! I know who that would be, beyond any doubt Jimmy Moor. He is always chalking on hangars and pianos such things as, Prepare to meet thy God, and only recently he met me on the field with, Excuse me, sir, but have you heard that story, ‘There shall be two in the field; one shall be taken and the other left,’ and I had to check him.”
“That,” said W., “sounds like the man I want. Would you be good enough to see that he gets this letter?” and away home he went.
Two days later, after supper, came a ring at the door, and there was Jimmy Moor. There was no ice to melt. There never is when two lovers of Christ meet. After a chat, W. W. took Jimmy out to see a few Christians in their homes, and Jimmy had a taste of something he had been longing for for months. The consistent warmth and welcome afforded to him, the readiness in every household to speak of the Lord Jesus, won his heart.
Soon he was posted to H. M. S. Glorious, and in his movements from port to port, he came in contact with other Christians.
It was from a brother from Gibraltar that news came of an episode on board ship. One morning, Jimmy was so engrossed in his Bible that he forgot to parade. Of course, he was sought for, and found in his bunk and summoned before the Captain. He was so overcome, in neglecting his duty, that he burst into tears, The impression this made on the Captain was that he needed medical attention, so he committed him to the care of the M. O. and confined him to quarters. After a few days he was pronounced fit for duty.
Then came the news, in 1940, of the Glorious. Jimmy Moor, at the age of 23, was lost with many hundreds. Only seven survivors were picked up. There was a report that a young man was to be seen haranguing a group of men on deck as the ship foundered.
1945 came, and a sailor home fruit the far eastern waters after five years service contacted some Christians in Edinburgh. He was one of the seven survivors of the Glorious, and he said that he had something to say that would interest them. Jimmy had requested permission to preach the gospel to the crew the captain gave permission for the gunroom to be used. On that day, at that preaching, several hundred men professed faith in the Lord Jesus as Saviour.
The next day the Glorious went down. As the deck was tilting for the last awful plunge, Jimmy Moor was there holding forth the precious word of God; full and free salvation to those men who were immediately going to pass into eternity, and many at that extreme moment confessed Christ. Only eternity will show the result of such service.
The story of Jimmy Moor should encourage every lover if Christ to be thoroughly out and out for the Lord, whose precious name is still the only name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved.
~~~
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”
ML-11/20/1960